One of the most difficult tasks for children ages 3-8 to learn and one which involves considerable hand and eye coorindation is the tying of the bow knot in a shoe lace, dress-belt or like stringed article which is employed in both play and dress.
Indeed, right next to potty training, the ability to tie one's laced shoes is almost essential for the young child to master before being sent off to school to be on one's own. Obviously, a teacher having 20-30 energetic little people has neither the time nor the patience to personally tie shoes for each youngster who might need such help before commencing his/her homeward trek at the end of a school day.